Cycling - Joining the Saale-Unstrut-Elster-Rad-Eight

The Saale-Unstrut-Elster-Rad-Eight (Acht) is a 178 km long regional tourist cycle route in Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, which connects the cycle routes along the Saale, Unstrut and White Elster.

This creates two interconnected circular routes (east and west route) with Naumburg in the centre, which appears on the map almost in the centre as a horizontal eight. Our starting point is once again Billroda, but there are numerous opportunities to join this round tour, especially since there are very interesting intermediate destinations on the way that invite you to linger.

The cycle route mainly leads over paved paths away from the main roads, but all surface qualities occur. In the meantime, we had followed the “bike path” on google maps, which first brought us across a green meadow, then steeply up a mountain slope, which, with the best of intentions, could not be cycled, despite the lowest gear and electric assistance. On the contrary, we were happy that we were able to use our pushing aid on the HNF wheels extremely effectively.

Naumburg as centre of Saale-Unstrut-Elster Biking-Eight

When driving on the so-called Rad-Acht, it is necessary to drive on some sections of country roads with moderate traffic without taking particular account of cycling. In fact, the traffic in this region of our republic is so little that there is hardly any impairment in cycling. Pushing may be necessary on very short sections. Most of the sections are passable regardless of the weather, as long as it is frost-free. There are parallel connections on country roads with light to moderately frequented traffic to the near-natural sections.

The route has been changed several times since the first official route was first designated in the 1990s. For example, a variant extended to the west via Nebra (Unstrut) - Wendelstein - Wiehe - Lossa (Finne) is known. Further changes are possible in the future.

The Saale-Unstrut-Elster-Rad-Acht runs from Naumburg in an east route and a west route, which can be travelled independently of each other.

Route of the eastern section

Saale cycle path from Naumburg - Schönburg - Leißling - Weißenfels - Dehlitz - Rippach - cycle path - Poserna - Taucha - Webau - Hohenmölsen - Mondsee - Deuben - Luckenau - Kretzschau to Zeitz - Elster cycle path - Großosida - Haynsburg - Wetterzeube - Droy says - Hassel - Weißenborn - Weickelsdorf - Waldau - Osterfeld through the Wethau valley - package - Löbitz - Beuditz - Mertendorf - Wethau - Schönburg - Naumburg

Route of the western section

from Naumburg - Hallescher Anger - Saale cycle path to Hennebrücke - bridge crossing onto the Unstrut cycle path - Freyburg - Laucha - Burgscheidungen - Biberbach cycle path to Bad Bibra - Wischroda - Marienthal - Eckartsberga - Auerstedt - Bad Sulza - Großheringen - Saaleck - Bad Kösen - Naumburg

Profile: near-natural development, roads with little traffic, from easy to demanding

Route length: Eastern section:  109 km
                    Western section:   78 km

Please read as well:

Unstrut Cycle Path - from Roßleben to Memleben
Beautiful Giethoorn - as the seasons changing